State Cuts Cost Carroll Community College $97,000

The state Board of Public Works' plan to slash state aid to community colleges by 5 percent this fiscal year will mean a $97,000 loss forCarroll Community College.

"It's a significant reduction because it has happened six months into the year," said Alan M. Schuman, CCC's interim director and director of administration. "We only have six months to recover from it.

"These things we planned on doing were things we fought hard to get in the budget process."

CCC expected to receive $1.22 million in state aid this fiscal year as part of its $4.78 million spending plan. Schuman said the college has received about half that amount so far. The current fiscal year began July 1, 1990, and runs through June30, 1991.

The state cuts mean CCC will delay the hiring of support positions, including two secretaries and a coordinator of continuing education, and the purchase of computers for a new computer lab, Schuman said.

"Assuming that our enrollment stays at the same levelas last year, these things should be the only direct impact on us right now," Schuman said. "We will not see significant changes in services. The last thing we want to do is reduce any of our services."

In addition, the college will not hire temporary personnel to help with the registration rush and the staff will be asked to monitor the use of paper and other supplies in the classroom to save some dollars,Schuman added.

For CCC and other community colleges, though, the cuts amount to about 7.5 percent reductions in their budgets because the state is asking the colleges to pick up a portion of employee payments to social security programs that were previously paid by the state, he said.

Schuman said the cuts don't paint a good picture forthe next fiscal year.

"Officially, we have not been told anythingabout next year," he said. "It's an unknown right now."

In a $5.75 million budget proposal that will be submitted to the county commissioners later this month, CCC earmarked $1.38 million in state aid for fiscal 1992.

"We're expecting to get $150,000 of new state moneynext year," Schuman said. "If we get that type of cut again and significant cuts from the county, we may have look at much more significant measures."